Jo Truchon

Photo: Oli Croteau Words: Evan Rissi

So, Jo. What’s good? 

A lot of snow is good, but cold weather's not! We’ve had a pretty good season here in Quebec with a bunch of snow, but a cold one. Not getting kicked out from a street sesh is good too!

Where are you from?

Chicoutimi, Quebec. I still live here.

Do you like it?

Yeah, it's a pretty cool town when there's no traffic. We have lots of entertainment and the sickest thing is that the city's made on elevation and hills, so that’s why we have a lot of well-known street spots.

Do you think if you left Chicoutimi people would know who you were?

I don’t think I need to leave my hometown, but at this point I have to travel more to continue pushing it. The fact that Chicoutimi is not in the middle of the snowboard industry was more of a problem when I began to do contests, because no one knew me and it was hard to get invited to them. It was the same deal with sponsors.

You’re pretty good, but nobody knows. Does that bum you out?

Well, there are so many good riders now, so it's hard to be a standout for everyone. Either way, I’m gonna do it for passion for as long and far as I can with the opportunities it creates.

What do you plan on doing next to get attention? Sex tape?

Sex tape?! [Laughs] Probably not. Well, hopefully that’s something I won’t be forced into. It shouldn’t happen. Actually, during the summer I'm a foreman for a construction company.

Yeah, but you don’t dream of being a foreman... You want to go pro, right?

Yeah. I mean, since I've been a kid I’ve dreamt of it. I was always watching videos and reading magazines. If it happens, it would definitely be the best.

Maybe you should Americanize your name, so it’s marketable. How about, “Joey Trucks?”

Maybe, but you gotta stay Canadian [laughs]. Last year, Chris Grenier came up with, “Young Joey Trouch.” Yours is pretty similar.

Frontside 270 Lipslide, Quebec. Photo: Oli Croteau

Are you wearing a helmet right now?

Most of the time, yeah.

So you’re sitting in your apartment wearing your bucket right now? Is everything OK?

[Laughs] Not really. I just feel better with it on when I’m riding. The head is the body’s engine. Some people think that it’s for pussies, but I don’t care.

You’re right. It’s definitely smart to wear one overall. I’m not clowning you for it. Plus, your mom is probably super proud of her little JoJo being safe.

Didn’t think you were! Like every mom, she’s proud, but she also knows some of the tricks and other snowboarders… Stuff like that. I need to ask her how she figures it out!

What? She knows the tricks? Tell me what happened.

Maybe she read about it behind the scenes? No, just kidding. She always asks questions like, “What’s the difference between this trick and that trick?” Also, my family was always supportive and around when I was doing contests coming up.

So you were a contest kid?

Not really. I'm more just talking about rail jams and random rail contests here and there. I'm not really inspired by the Olympic and discipline. I hate discipline!

But you backflipped onto a handrail, dog! 

Circus style? Why not [laughs]? 

What else do you have planned for the circus?

Maybe next time just add some fireworks and flip out to it! Oh, and maybe a tiger to act as a fence behind the jump!

You see—that’s how you get your name recognized.

Did not think about fireworks and renting a tiger before tonight. Let’s do this.

50-50 Gap 50-50, Quebec. Photo: Oli Croteau

What are you filming for right now?

Still filming for Nowamean, which just got restarted with a new producer. The name of the movie will be Renaissance.

Ever seen Renaissance Man with Danny DeVito?

No.

Oh, you must not watch movies. The premise is pretty cool. A down-on-his-luck businessman desperately takes the only job offered: a teacher in the U.S. Army. His mission: keep a ragtag bunch of underachieving misfits from flunking out of basic training!

Never watched it. Maybe I should so we can be inspired by Hollywood.

That’s exactly what I told some other French snowboarders last year. I told them to watch Déja Vu starring Denzel Washington. Look what happened.

If this is true, that’s the way man! Hollywood shit featuring snowboarders. The Déja Vu crew is such an insane snowboard inspiration!

Yeah, so maybe put that on your bucket list... Pun intended.

Pun intended? I don’t know what that means.

Ah, that’s okay. It’s just an old English proverb about wearing a helmet and doing a backflip onto a handrail.

[Laughs] Good.

So, what are you going to do after this interview? Rent a tiger? Watch Danny DeVito movies?

I already ordered the tiger while my girlfriend was sitting here singing some Rihanna beside me. And yeah, I gotta watch that movie before going out there to shoot again.

Shit, you didn’t even mention you had a girlfriend. I guess you have it all figured out, Jo. You’ve got it all!

I guess so! It’s always nice to have some freshly baked muffins from your girlfriend at a street sesh.

Any shout outs?

Thanks to all my sponsors for the support: Airblaster, CAPiTA, Union, Coal, Vans, Electric, Howl, and Homies Boardshop. All of my friends and family, thanks for helping me make it happen!

Gap to Nosepress, Quebec. Photo: Oli Gagnon